Saturday, 20 November 2010

For once even I am astonished!

Since I started writing this blog I have been absolutely open and above board about my views. If you take the time to look back at previous entries I am sure you will arrive at the view I am a bit of a liberally minded leftie. In short I like to think that I am pretty open-minded.

Having said that as I sat reading yesterdays Metro even I was astonished by the crass and moronic stupidity of a couple in Minneapolis, USA.

You see, the couple in question, Pete and Alisha Arnold, have set up a website called www.birthornot.com . You can perhaps get an inkling from the name of the website what its aim is but if not I shall explain.

Pete and Alisha have decided to set up a website in order that other internet users can vote on whether Alisha, who is currently pregnant, should have an abortion or not!

Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice (and I readily admit to leaning towards the pro-choice option - with caveats) this poll should outrage you, it certainly did me.

Many, many people believe that life begins at conception and abortion should never be allowed. On the other hand the statutory and majority view is that abortion should be legal and that women, with restrictions, should have a right to choose.

That right to choose was a hard won fight with strong and persuasive arguments from either viewpoint being made by some very serious people. One thing that all were agreed upon is that the decision to abort should be one of the most difficult and soul searching that any individual can make.

To reduce that decision to an 'X Factor' type vote made by a simple click of the mouse is an abomination which to my mind anyone should be disgusted by.

So, why am I maddened by this story?

The answer is straightforward. I regularly disagree with people. People with different religions, different viewpoints and different political persuasions. What I respect, however, is that those people have taken the time to think abut why they have arrived at that opposing view - just as I have thought why I have arrived at mine.

To abdicate responsibility and the need to think on such a major issue, as Pete and Alisha Arnold have done, is an aberration which they should be ashamed of and no doubt will be in years to come.